Tag Archive | "Stony Brook"

BALTIMORE – UMBC sophomore midfielder Pat Young (Ewing, N.J./Christchurch (Va.) School) scored with 9.6 seconds remaining in the first overtime period as the Retrievers edged Stony Brook, 12-11, in the America East opening game for both squads.

Young and senior attackman Matt Gregoire (Crofton, Md./South River) led a balanced attack in goal-scoring with three apiece.

Stony Brook sophomore attackman Brody Eastwood led all scorers with five goals.

The Retrievers improved to 5-4 overall, while Stony Brook slipped to 4-6.

UMBC trailed, 4-0, after one quarter, but it was the Seawolves that had to rally late to send the game to extra time. They scored the final three goals of regulation, including the game-tying goal on Eastwood’s second of back-to-back scores with1:10 remaining in regulation. After Stony Brook controlled the ensuing draw, UMBC created a turnover, but Gregoire’s effort with 17 seconds remaining missed the cage.

Young had a chance to win the game early in overtime, but his shot from close range was deflected away by Stony Brook freshman netminder Hayden Johnston. The Seawolves took control of the ball and drew a pair of technical fouls against the hosts and went two-men-up with 2:14 to play. SBU junior attackman Mike Rooney got inside, but his high shot was stuffed by UMBC red-shirt freshman netminder Connor Gordon (Bourne, Mass./Tabor Academy) and the Retrievers killed off the Seawolf opportunity.

Johnston would make two saves against UMBC sophomore midfielder Jack Gannon (Lake Ronkonkoma, N.Y./Sachem North) in the final minute, but the ball found its way back to Young in the center of the field. He made a dodge to the right and beat the Stony Brook keeper with a low shot.

Young also scored the game-winning goal against the Seawolves as a freshman in 2013, netting a shot with 2:39 to play in the fourth quarter to break a 12-all tie and propel UMBC to a 13-12 victory.

Both goalkeepers were outstanding in the well-played contest. Gordon fell one shy of his season high, making 15 saves, while Johnston stopped 12 Retriever attempts.

Stony Brook built a 5-1 lead after Eastwood’s first goal of the night at the 7:35 mark of the second quarter. But the Retrievers would hold the conference rivals scoreless for 18:34 and went on a 6-0 run to take a 7-5 advantage on freshman Max Maxwell’s (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) second third-quarter goal at the 9:45 mark of the stanza.

The visitors, who led 5-4 at the half, rallied and tied the game at 8-8 on back-to-back scores by Eastwood in a 39-second span late in the third quarter.

But UMBC grabbed the momentum heading to the fourth quarter, as Gregoire slipped in a tough angle shot with two seconds to play in the period.

UMBC extended the lead to 11-8 on goals by Young and Gannon in the first 5:58 of the fourth quarter before Stony Brook rallied.

UMBC outshot Stony Brook, 41-35, but the Seawolves rallied to win the battle of face-offs, 15-12.

The Retrievers next play at Binghamton on Sunday, April 6.
Notes: UMBC is now 17-7 under Coach Don Zimmerman in overtime games and the Retriever mentor is 19-9 in his 28 seasons as a head coach… The Retrievers’ last overtime game was the 2013 conference opener when they fell ,15-14, at Hartford… Gregoire posted his sixth game of the season with three or more goals and now has 12 for his career… Young now has six career three-goal games… Stony Brook entered the game ranked third in the nation in extra-man offense and UMBC blanked the Seawolves on four opportunities… UMBC improved to 13-7 in the all-time series with the Seawolves and snapped a two-game home losing streak to SBU… UMBC is now 8-3 in America East openers.

UMBC opens its 11th season of America East Conference play on Friday, March 28, when the Retrievers host Stony Brook at UMBC Stadium. The opening face-off is set for 7:30 p.m. Live video streaming is available on www.umbcretrievers.tv and the game will be broadcast with Gary Stein and Kevin O’Neill on the call.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: SR A Matt Gregoire recorded career highs in goals (6) and points (8) and SO linemate Nate Lewnes added a career-best five goals as UMBC (4-4) defeated Mount St. Mary’s, 17-7, at Waldron Family Stadium on Saturday.The 17 goals and 12 assists recorded by UMBC were season-highs and the most goals since a 17-16 win over Albany on April 21, 2012. Gregoire, who leads the team with 26 goals and 29 points, has scored all of his season’s goals in the last seven games. He recorded UMBC’s first six-goal goal since Scott Jones scored six times versus Vermont on April 6, 2013. Entering the week, he was sixth nationally with 3.63 goals per game.

Red-shirt FR G Connor Gordon is ranked ninth in the nation with 12.00 saves per game.

UMBC is 7-3 in ten previous America East Conference openers and has won its last two. The Retrievers’ all-time record in ten previous seasons of league play is 39-13 (.750) and UMBC is 22-4 (.846) at UMBC Stadium.

SEAWOLF UPDATE: Stony Brook (4-5) held an 11-8 lead after three quarters, but St. John’s outscored the Seawolves, 5-0, in the final period to claim a 13-11 win Saturday at Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Four Stony Brook players had two goals apiece, including SO M Chris Hughes, who added two assists. Stony Brook was 5 of 5 on extra-man chances, scoring five man-up goals for the first time since 2007 at Denver. SBU, which is ranked third nationally in man-up offense, has not won nor lost multiple games in a row in 2014.

SO A Brody Eastwood leads the Seawolves with 26 goals on the campaign. SO A Matt Schultz (14-18-32) and S M Chalen Rogers (12-20-32) are tied for the team lead with 32 points apiece. Three netminders have earned decisions for SBU this season. FR Hayden Johnstone got the start vs. St. John’s and made 10 saves.

LAST YEAR’S RESULT/ALL-TIME SERIES: Pat Young broke a 12-all tie by scoring with 2:39 remaining and visiting UMBC won a critical America East Conference contest, 13-12, at defending champion Stony Brook at LaValle Stadium on April 13, 2013. The game featured ten ties before Young took a feed from senior A/M Joe Lustgarten and buried a shot from nine yards out.

Nate Lewnes led a balanced UMBC attack with two goals and two assists. Young and Gregoire each scored two goals apiece for the visitors. Phil Poe won 18 of 29 draws, and the visitors outshot the hosts, 47-23.

UMBC leads the all-time series, 12-7, and snapped a three-game slide to SBU with the 2013 victory. The Seawolves have won the last two meetings at UMBC Stadium and are 4-5 in nine previous Baltimore contests.

WHO’S UP NEXT: UMBC plays its first league road game of the campaign when they travel to Binghamton for a contest with the Bearcats on Sunday, April 6. The opening draw is set for 2:00 p.m.

Comments Off on UMBC opens America East play Friday against Stony Brook

STONY BROOK, N.Y. – Long Island natives senior Mike Chanenchuk and freshman Tim Rotanz combined to score six goals to lead the No. 1 University of Maryland men’s lacrosse team to an 11-8 victory over Stony Brook Saturday afternoon in front of 2,964 at LaValle Stadium.

Maryland improves to 5-0 on the season, while Stony Brook falls to 2-3.

After a bit of a shaky start for both teams Maryland scored first when Chanenchuk connected on a runner down the left alley for a 1-0 Terrapin lead at the 10:42 mark.

The Seawolves answered back less than a minute later on an unassisted goal by Mike Andreassi, but Maryland rattled off three unanswered goals to take a 4-1 lead going into the second quarter.

Freshman Matt Rambo scored an unassisted goal at 9:26 to give the Terps the lead back. Chanenchuk netted his second of the day with 7:24 to play in the first to make it a 3-1 game.

Maryland’s extra-man unit closed out the scoring in the first with junior Jay Carlson connecting from the left wing off of a feed from junior Joe LoCascio at the 5:42 mark.

A slashing penalty on Stony Brook’s Bryan Judge in the final seconds of the first quarter gave the Terrapins another extra-man opportunity at the start of the second quarter. The Seawolves left Chanenchuk all alone at the top of the formation and the Poquott, N.Y., native stepped into a shot and ripped his third goal of the game into the upper left corner.

Sophomore Henry West extended the Terrapin lead to 6-1 with an unassisted goal at the 12:24 mark of the second.

Stony Brook ended the Terps’ scoring run at five goals with an extra-man goal by Brody Eastwood with 8:46 to play in the first half.

Freshman Tim Rotanz made his Maryland debut one to remember with his first collegiate goal at the 5:56 mark of the second. It didn’t take him long to score his second career goal either; just 17 seconds apart to be exact.

Senior Michael Ehrhardt caused a Stony Brook turnover, scooped up the groundball near midfield and made a perfect pass to Rotanz in stride for an easy score on the Seawolves’ goalie Hayden Johnstone with 5:39 to play to give Maryland the 8-2 lead going into halftime.

The Seawolves got on the board first in the second half on Brody Eastwood’s goal at the 11:15 mark, but Maryland struck right back less than two minutes later. Freshman Colin Heacock skipped a pass across the field to a wide-open Bryan Cole and the junior ripped a shot from the right alley to put the Terps back on top by six goals at 9-3.

The Seawolves opened the fourth quarter on a 4-0 run, with two goals coming from Matt Schultz, to cut Maryland’s lead back to two goals with 8:24 to play.

The Terps ended the run with 6:41 on the clock when West found Cole in the slot and Cole quickly turned and finished to make it a 10-7 game. The play really began back near the midfield with a caused turnover and groundball from senior Brian Cooper to stymie a Stony Brook opportunity.

Chanenchuk then scored exactly two minutes later, his fourth of the game, to give Maryland a four-goal cushion at 11-7.

Andreassi scored his second of the game with 1:12 to go to make it an 11-8 game.

Senior goalie Niko Amato was stout in net for the Terps, making nine saves on the day. Ehrhardt led the defensive effort for the Terps with three groundballs and two caused turnovers. Cooper also finished with three groundballs and one caused turnover.

Maryland returns to action in a special Friday night game vs. Villanova on March 14. Faceoff for the game between the Terps and Wildcats is set for 7 p.m. at Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium and the game will be streamed live on TerpsTV.

Game Notes:• With today’s 11-8 win Maryland is now 3-0 all-time vs. Stony Brook.
• With four points on four goals, senior Mike Chanenchuk now has 13 hat tricks, 32 multi-point and 24 multi-goal games for his career.
• With two points on two goals, junior Bryan Cole registered the first multi-goal and second multi-point game of his career.
• With two points on two goals, freshman Tim Rotanz registered the first multi-point and multi-goal game of his career.

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The No. 1 Maryland (4-0) men’s lacrosse team returns to non-conference play when it plays at Stony Brook (2-2) for the first time since 2003. The Terps and the Seawolves are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on Saturday, March 8 at LaValle Stadium.

• The Maryland-Stony Brook game is slated to be streamed live on AmericaEast.tv.

• Maryland was elevated to the No. 1 ranking this week following its 10-6 home win over previous No. 1 Duke on March 1. Senior Mike Chanenchuk took over the team scoring lead with his six-point performance vs. the Blue Devils. Chanenchuk now has 17 points on 12 goals and five assists and leads the team in each of those offensive categories. Junior Charlie Raffa has won 47-of-77 (.610) faceoffs this season with a team-best 31 groundballs. Senior Michael Ehrhardt has made a seamless transition to the long-stick midfield spot and has 15 groundballs, which leads all non-faceoff men, and a team-best 10 caused turnovers. Senior Niko Amato has started every game of his college career (54 straight) and boasts a 5.46 goals-against average this season with a .683 save percentage.

• Stony Brook is 2-2 on the season after seesawing through their first four games of 2014. The Seawolves have been led on offense this season by sophomore attackman Brody Eastwood. The Canadian finisher has 14 goals on just 24 shots and six of his tallies have come on extra-man opportunities. Sophomore midfielder Challen Rogers, another Canadian import, leads Stony Brook with nine assists, while also scoring four goals. Sophomore goalie Dan Shaughnessy, the team’s starter as a freshman in 2013, returned after missing the Marist and Lafayette games to start vs. Duke and Rutgers and has an 11.50 goals-against average this season. Freshman Kyle Rowe has taken 91 of the Seawolves’ 107 faceoff attempts and has won 59 for a .648 winning percentage. He also leads the team with 35 groundballs and has scored once and added one assist.

THE COUNT DOWN

10 … Since 2002 Maryland has won 105 of the 114 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .921 winning percentage.
9 … Maryland is 123-26 in games since 2002 when it allows nine goals or less, for an .826 winning percentage.
8 … Four different Terps combined to score eight of the Terps’ 13 goals in their 13-7 win over Stony Brook in 2013.
7 … This week’s game at Stony Brook is a homecoming for seven current Terps that are natives of Long Island.
6 … In the last six seasons Maryland is 16-3 in non-conference games in the month of March.
5 … Five current Terps have registered at least one career point vs. Stony Brook
4 … Four Terps (Mike Chanenchuk, Jay Carlson, Joe LoCascio & Matt Rambo) have registered at least one point in every game this season.
3 … This will be Maryland’s third game all-time vs. Stony Brook
2 … Niko Amato has two games this season with double-digit saves and now has 22 for his career.
1 … Maryland is ranked the No. 1 team in the country for the 11th time since 1978.

COACHING MATCH-UP

• John Tillman is in his seventh season as a head coach, and fourth with the Terps, with a 59-34 career record for a 63.4 winning percentage. Tillman is 39-15 (.722) as Maryland’s head coach. He had a 20-19 record in three seasons as the head coach at Harvard.

• Jim Nagle is in his 20th season season as a head coach and holds a lifetime record of 167-125 (.572). This is his third season at the head of the Stony Brook program and is 16-21 (.432) with the Seawolves.

SERIES HISTORY VS. STONY BROOK

• Maryland and Stony Brook have met only twice – a 16-4 Terrapin victory at Stony Brook in 2003 and 2013’s 13-7 Maryland win in College Park.

• No. 1 Maryland got two goals apiece from seniors Owen Blye and Kevin Cooper and sophomores Jay Carlson andJoe LoCascio in the Terps’ 13-7 win over the Seawolves on March 10, 2013 in College Park. The Terps held Stony Brook scoreless through the opening 16:48 of the game while opening up a 5-0 lead. Maryland dominated possession at the faceoff X with sophomore Charlie Raffa winning 15-of-18 draws with a career-high 11 groundballs.

• Mike Mollot had five points on a goal and four assists to lead 13 different Terps who tallied a point vs. the Seawolves in 2003. Six different Terps had two goals in the game, including Brian Hunt, who also had two assists in the 16-4 Maryland win.

MARYLAND AS THE NO. 1 TEAM

• The Terps took over the top spot in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and the USILA Coaches’ Poll on March 3 after two impressive wins over then-No. 2 Syracuse and then-No. 1 Duke in sucsessive weeks. This is the 11th time Maryland has earned the No. 1 ranking since 1986.

• Overall, Maryland has played 28 games as the No. 1-ranked team and is 19-9 in those games.

• This last time the Terps were the No. 1 team in the rankings was in the 2013 season. After taking over the top spot following its 12-10 win at then-No. 1 Loyola on Feb. 23, the Terps played six games as the nation’s outright top team and was 4-2, defeating Duke, 16-7, in Durham on March 2, topping Stony Brook, 13-7, at home on March 10, going on the road to beat Villanova, 10-7, on March 16 and dropping a 10-8 decision to North Carolina on March 23. After regaining the No. 1 ranking on April 1, the Terps defeated Navy, 11-8, in Annapolis on April 5, but then dropped a 7-4 decision at home to Johns Hopkins on April. 13.

• Prior to the 2013 season, the last time Maryland was the top team in the nation was in March of 2006 after the Terps defeated then-No. 1 Duke, 8-7 on the road in overtime. Maryland defeated Towson as the No. 1 team the following Saturday, but fell, 7-6 in double-OT, to Bucknell on Tuesday, March 14. The Terrapins were still No. 1 in their 9-4 win at UMBC to close out their two-week stay at the top of the polls.

• The longest Maryland has held on to the No. 1 ranking was seven weeks in 1987. That streak came to an end with a 13-8 loss to No. 4 Johns Hopkins in the NCAA Semifinals.

GET TO 10 AND WIN

• One axiom of lacrosse is that if you score 10 goals or more your chances of winning are pretty good. Well, a look at the results since 2002 shows that when Maryland scores 10 or more goals there’s not just a pretty good chance the Terrapins will win; it’s an almost certainty. Since 2002 Maryland has won 105 of the 114 games in which the Terps have scored 10 or more goals for a .921 winning percentage.

• Maryland scored 10, but fell at North Carolina, 11-10, on March 24, 2012 and again came out on the losing end, despite scoring 11 in a 13-11 loss at Colgate on May 5, 2012. The Terps scored 11 vs. Johns Hopkins on April 16, 2011, but the Blue Jays won the game in overtime, 12-11. On April 3 of last season the Terps lost to No. 1 Virginia by a final of 11-10, giving Maryland its only loss when scoring 10 or more goals in 2010. In 2009 the Terps lost to Georgetown, 13-10 on Feb. 21 and lost again when scoring 10 in the ACC Semifinals in a 16-10 defeat at North Carolina. Prior to that, Maryland had not lost when scoring 10 or more goals since dropping an 11-10 decision to Virginia in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament in Durham, N.C. The Terrapins got to 10 goals in the 100th game against Johns Hopkins, but the Blue Jays took the game 14-10. Virginia is the only team to beat the Terps twice when allowing 10 or more goals. The Wahoos did it first in 2002 with another 11-10 decision.

HOLDING OPPONENTS TO SINGLE-DIGITS

• The Terps have been extremely impressive (winning 92.1 percent of its games since 2002) when it scores 10 or more goals, they have been nearly as impressive when holding opponents to less than 10 goals during that span.

• Since 2002 Maryland is 123-26 in games, for a .826 winning percentage, when it has held opponents under 10 goals. The Terps have played 197 total games since 2002. Maryland has held opponents to nine goals or less 75.1 percent of the time.

SHOOTING TELLS THE STORY

• Since 2005 the Terps are a remarkable 64-4 (.941) when shooting 30% or better in a game. The only four losses were: 13-10 to Georgetown in 2009 (the Terps shot 10 of 30 for 33.3% vs. the Hoyas), 11-10 to No. 1 Virginia on April 3, 2010 (10 of 33 for 30.3%), 12-11 in overtime on April 16, 2011 to No. 3 Johns Hopkins (11 of 28 for 39.3%) and 13-11 at Colgate on May 5, 2012 (11 of 31 for 35.5%).

• Maryland is 4-0 on the year and shot 30% or better in two of its four victories and just barely missed that mark in the win at Syracuse.

• If 30% is the benchmark, then 40% shooting is in a class all to itself and Maryland has shot 40% or better in 15 games since the start of the 2008 season. Out of those 14 games, Maryland shot 50% or better in four of them.

STREAKING TERPS

• Four games into the 2014 season and so far and four Terps have nothced at least one point in every game.

• Senior Mike Chanenchuk has scored at least one point in each of the four games so far in 2014 and has a 27-game point scoring streak dating back to the Johns Hopkins game on Apr. 14, 2012. Overall, for his Maryland career Chanenchuk has tallied at least one point in 34 of 36 games.

• Juniors Jay Carlson and Joe LoCascio and freshman Matt Rambo have also registered at least one point in every game this season.

FRESHMAN HAT TRICKS

• With four goals in his first college game, a 16-3 win over Mount St. Mary’s (Feb. 8), Matt Rambo became just the ninth Maryland men’s lacrosse freshman to record a hat trick since 1998. He followed that up with another hat trick in the 14-3 win over UMBC (Feb. 15) to become the first Terp to record back-to-back hat tricks in his first two collegiate games since Grant Catalino in 2008.

• Connor Cannizzaro scored his first hat trick with three goals in the Terps’ 16-8 win at Syracuse to become the 10th Terp freshman with a hat trick since 1998. This marks just the second time since 1998 that two freshman have recorded hat tricks in the same season.

• Game-by-game stats haven’t been saved since the 1998 season, so the following chart can only go back to then, but here’s a look at freshman hat tricks (consecutive games are underlined):

• Senior midfielder Mike Chanenchuk scored five of the Terps’ 10 goals in the team’s 10-6 win over No. 1 Duke on March 1, 2014. That performance marks just the ninth time since 1998 that a Maryland player scored at least 50 percent of the team’s goals in a victory (with a five-goal minimum). Chanenchuk is the first Maryland player since 1998 to accomplish the feat at home.

• Here’s a look at Terps who have scored 50% or more of the team’s goals (min. 5 goals) in wins since 1998:

• The Terps boast an all-time record of 751-253-4 (.747), dating back to the first varsity team in 1924 (a team was not fielded in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II). Maryland has finished every one of its previous 88 seasons with a .500 or better record, including last season when the Terps went 12-6. The program reached the 700-win milestone with a 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 at Ludwig Field and became just the fourth program with 750 wins with a 16-8 win at No. 2 Syracuse on Feb. 22, 2014.

• During the decade of the 2000s, Maryland went 111-49 for a .694 win percentage, making it the winningest decade in Terrapin lacrosse history. In the decade of the 1990s, Maryland posted a 95-47 record. The .669 winning percentage matched Maryland’s win percentage of the 1980s when the Terps went 83-41 and also compiled a .669 win percentage. So far, Maryland is 51-19 in the 2010’s for a .728 winning percentage.

THE 700 CLUB

• Maryland’s 15-6 victory over Penn on April 14, 2009 was the program’s 700th victory in 84 seasons of varsity men’s lacrosse. The Terps join Johns Hopkins, Syracuse, Navy, Army and Cornell as the only programs with 700 or more Division I wins.

• Two things that make Maryland’s accomplishment all the more impressive is that the Terps reached the 700-win plateau in just their 84th season. Only Syracuse reached win No. 700 in as few seasons, but it took the Orange 53 more games than Maryland. In fact, Maryland needed only 940 games to reach 700 wins and only Johns Hopkins needed fewer games (932) to hit the historic number, but the Blue Jays did so in their 105th season.

CONSECUTIVE 10-WIN SEASONS

• Maryland’s 18-6 win over the Colgate on May 4, 2013 extended the Terps’ streak of double-digit win seasons to 11, which is the longest active streak in NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse. (Special thanks to Patrick Stevens of the D1scource.com).

• There are only four programs with a current streak of at least five-straight 10-win seasons:

• Cornell’s string of seven-straight 10+ win seasons came to an end in 2012 with a 9-4 final mark. Virginia’s streak of eight-consecutive seasons with 10+ wins ended in 2013 with a 7-8 record, while Siena saw its run of six 10-win seasons end with an 8-9 mark this season.

A FAMILY AFFAIR

• Many school’s refer to their sports programs as families, but the Maryland men’s lacrosse program is truly a family affair. Since 2001, the Terps have had 13 sets of brothers, including three on this season’s roster, don the red and black together for at least one season.

• The 2014 season is the first since 2000 that the Terps have not had a brother combination on the roster.

MARYLAND IN SEASON OPENERS

• Maryland has an 85-3-1 (.961) lifetime record in season openers dating back to the 1924 season. The Terps have won their last 19 openers and 26 of the last 27, with the only loss coming to Duke in 1993, when they fell to Duke 9-5 on March 6.

• After losing their 1925 opener to Yale, 5-3, the Terps went on to win 40 consecutive season openers from 1926 through 1967. The streak was broken when Maryland tied Princeton, 6-6, in the 1968 opener. Following the deadlock, Maryland went on to win its next 14 openers, giving the Terps a 54-0-1 record over a 57-year span (Maryland did not field a team in 1944 and 1945 due to World War II.)

21 STRAIGHT IN SEASON OPENERS

• After beating Mount St. Mary’s to open the 2013 season the Terps have an 20-game winning streak in season openers. Five of those wins came against Villanova (1994-98) and the last nine over Denver, Mount St. Mary’s (three times), Air Force, Hobart, Duke, Georgetown (four times), Bellarmine (twice), Presbyterian, Detroit Mercy and Hartford. Over the 21-year stretch, Maryland outscored its foes 306-108 (an average score of 14.6-5.1) in those games.

• The Terps have not allowed more than seven goals to any opponent in a season opener over the last 21 years. Maryland has not allowed an opponent to score 10 or more goals in a season opener since Syracuse beat the Terps, 16-13 on March 9, 1983.

FOUR TAKEN IN MLL DRAFT

• Led by senior defender Michael Ehrhardt, four Maryland men’s lacrosse student-athletes were chosen in the 2014 Major League Lacrosse collegiate draft.

• Senior midfielder Mike Chanenchuk was the next Terrapin off the board, also joining the Hounds as the 11th overall selection.

• The third Terp to be selected was senior goalie Niko Amato, becoming the first Terp to join the Florida Launch, with the 29th overall selection.

• The final Terp to be drafted was senior short-stick defensive midfielder Brian Cooper, who earned the distinction of being 2014’s MLL equivalent of “Mr. Irrelevant” as the final selection of the draft, going with the 64th overall selection to the Chesapeake Bayhawks.

FIVE TERP ALUMS SELECTED FOR TEAM USA

• Five Maryland men’s lacrosse alumni were named to the 30-man roster for the U.S. National Team that will compete at the 2014 FIL World Championships from July 10-19 in Denver.

• Jesse Bernhardt (2013), Dan Burns (2011), Jeff Reynolds (2009), Drew Snider (2012) and Lee Zink (2004) made the team, which was selected from an original pool of 98 players through a seven-month selection process.

• Maryland’s five selections are tied for the most of any college program with Johns Hopkins, which also has five alums among the 30-man roster.

2014 TEAM CAPTAINS

• Four players have been named team captains for the 2014 season. The quartet, which was selected by a combination of team vote and coaches’ input, consists of seniors Tyler Adelsberger, Niko Amato, Mike Chanenchukand Michael Ehrhardt.

BIG TEN LACROSSE STARTS IN 2015

• The University of Maryland’s men’s lacrosse team will compete in the Big Ten Conference beginning with the 2015 season, following an announcement from the conference office on June 3, 2013 that the Big Ten has secured six men’s teams when Johns Hopkins was accepted as a sport affiliate member for men’s lacrosse only beginning with the 2014-15 academic year to give the Big Ten six men’s programs, joining Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State and Rutgers.

• The six programs that will comprise Big Ten men’s lacrosse boast 56 national championships, with schools that have competed for more than a century. Johns Hopkins has been an independent since 1883 and leads all schools with 44 national championships. Maryland has claimed 11 national titles, while Rutgers has also won a national championship. The Scarlet Knights launched men’s lacrosse in 1887, followed by programs starting in 1913 for Penn State, 1924 for Maryland and 1953 for Ohio State. Michigan instituted a men’s lacrosse program in 2012. Maryland, Ohio State and Penn State each qualified for the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championship in 2013, with the Buckeyes advancing to the quarterfinals.

SET THE SCENE: UMBC (9-17, 5-8 America East) heads back to the road to face Stony Brook (18-8, 10-2) at Pritchard Gymnasium on Wednesday, Feb. 19. The Retrievers are looking to snap an eleven-game slide versus the Seawolves. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m, video streaming is available via the America East digital network.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC, which fell, 76-52, at Vermont on Saturday, has bounced back from its last three setbacks with victories and is 4-3 in its last seven outings. FR G Rodney Elliott continues to put up staggering first-season numbers and is four points shy of recording the third-most points for Retriever Division I freshmen. Classmate post David Kadiri had a solid week, averaging 9.5 ppg and 7.5 rebounds per contest.

SEAWOLF UPDATE: Stony Brook shook off a rare home conference loss to UNH last Wednesday (73-69) and edged UMass Lowell, 78-68, on the road on Saturday. SO post Jameel Warney is the dominant post player in America East, averaging 15.1 points and 8.3 caroms per game. He is amongst the nation’s leaders, shooting 63.9% from the floor. Three guards (Anthony Jackson, Carson Puriefoy and Dave Coley) all average in double figures for the Seawolves.

WHO’S UP NEXT: UMBC plays its final home game of the season on Saturday, Feb. 22, when they host Binghamton. The Retrievers will honor seniors Quentin Jones, Chase Plummer, Brett Roseboro and Jamar Wertz, who was unable to compete this season. Tip-off time will be adjusted to approximately 7:10 p.m.

Comments Off on UMBC looks to snap losing streak to Stony Brook Wednesday

BALTIMORE – On Monday, Stony Brook will try to accomplish something it’s never done – win its first five America East games. The Seawolves are 4-0 for the third straight season and now they’ll go for five Monday afternoon against UMBC at RAC Arena. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3 with Eric Frede and Frank Sullivan.

Stony Brook returns to the court less than 48 hours after its last game as its plays at UMBC.

This is the 24th all-time meeting, and the Seawolves lead the all-time series 15-8. They are 6-4 at the RAC and have won their last four appearances here. Stony Brook has won 10 straight meetings.

This is a matchup of the top two offensive rebounding teams in the conference (UMBC – 12.7/game, SB – 11.8/game).

Stony Brook is in a tie with Vermont for first place (4-0) through the first quarter of the conference schedule.

Redshirt freshman Ahmad Walker is coming off his best performance of the year, scoring 18 points, grabbing seven rebounds and dishing three assists vs. UMass Lowell.

Scouting UMBC

Picked to finish sixth in America East, the Retrievers are currently tied for eighth with Maine at 1-4 and were a basket away from a second victory.

UMBC’s offense has been strong all season, but has dipped in the last two games, scoring just 42 at New Hampshire and 47 at home vs. Vermont. Prior to those two games, UMBC was averaging 69.8 points a game.

UMBC has played five overtime games this season, including four straight games back in November. The team is 2-3 when going to OT this season.

Freshman Rodney Elliott has carried UMBC by averaging 13.8 points and 3.3 assists while shooting 45.7% from the field.

Former All-America East forward Chase Plummer is averaging 10.4 points and 5.8 rebounds off the bench.

If Stony Brook Wins…

Stony Brook will improve to 5-0 in America East for the first time ever.

The Seawolves will extend their conference winning streak to 11 straight games, dating back to Feb. 2013.

The Greyhounds return to action after a 12-day layoff for final exams when they host Stony Brook University at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, December 19, in Reitz Arena.

Loyola and Stony Brook will be playing for the first time since 2001 and just the third time overall.

After starting out the season 4-0, Loyola is 1-3 in its last three games.

Dylon Cormier, the Greyhounds’ leading scorer, has led Loyola in the points column in every game this year. He was held, however, to 13 points at Mount St. Mary’s. The senior guard was limited to a season-low 23 minutes after drawing a pair of fouls in the first three minutes of the game.

Last Time Out

Loyola led by as many as eight, 23-15, after a fast-break layup by Damion Rashford with 4:52 left in the first half, but Mount St. Mary’s scored the next points and never relinquished the lead in a 70-58 non-conference victory on Saturday, December 7.

Julian Norfleet scored seven of his 16 points during that stretch, in which Loyola committed six turnovers.

The Greyhounds cut their deficit to one, 47-46, on a pair of Dylon Cormier free throws with 11:17 left, but The Mount scored the next five to keep the lead at five or more for the rest of the game.

Cormier led the Greyhounds with 13 points, while Franz Rassman added 12 and seven rebounds.

Patriot League Network

Thursday’s game against Catholic will air live on the Patriot League Network.

The game, and all of Loyola’s non-televised home games will be streamed, free of charge, in high definition and can be accessed at LoyolaGreyhounds.com/pln.

Loyola and Stony Brook will meet for the third time when the teams take the court on Thursday. The Seawolves have won both of the previous contests.

In the first meeting, Stony Brook held off Loyola, 51-50, on January 26, 2000, in Reitz Arena despite seven blocked shots by Loyola’s all-time leader in swats, Brian Carroll.

The Seawolves then beat the Greyhounds, 72-54, on February 5, 2001, on Long Island.

Shooting In First/Last Four

As the Greyhounds opened the season with a 4-0 record, they were shooting 43.8 percent from the field, certainly not shooting the lights out, but better than the last four games.

In their four most recent games, in which they are 1-3, Loyola is making just 39.4 percent of its shots.

Just two of the team’s top seven scorers have seen their shooting percentages go up in the last four games: Dylon Cormier (44.6 to 45.0) and Franz Rassman (38.5 to 50.0).

Loyola has seen a more precipitous drop in 3-point field-goal percentage in the last four games. After starting the season shooting 40.8 percent from behind the arc, the Greyhounds are hitting just 26.9 percent of long-distance attempts since.

Of those who attempted seven or more threes in either of the four-game sets, only Cormier’s percentage has risen (34.8 to 35.3).

Rassman Better From Field

Franz Rassman has shown his best scoring form of the season in Loyola’s last two games, combining for 26 points in the Greyhounds contests against Catholic and Mount St. Mary’s.

After tallying a career-best 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting against the Cardinals, Rassman finished with 12 points – 10 in the first half – at Mount St. Mary’s.

In Loyola’s first six games of the season, Rassman was making just 31.8 percent of shots (7-of-22), but he has hit 61.9 percent (13-of-21) in the last two contests.

Outside Shooting Off The Bench

Tyler Hubbard’s role as an outside shooter off the bench has continued this year, with good success. The sophomore is hitting 45.8 percent (11-of-24) shots from behind the 3-point arc, while averaging 16.3 minutes per game.

He is also getting to the free-throw line at a good clip with the ability to draw contract when driving into traffic. He has taken the fourth most free throws on the team this season, making 12-of-15.

After averaging 2.8 points in 9.7 minutes per game last season, Hubbard has raised his scoring to 6.1 this year. He has played 24 minutes, season highs, in each of the last two Greyhound games.

Rashford Numbers Increasing

Redshirt freshman Damion Rashford has seen increasing playing time recently, and he has started to put up the numbers to prove it. At Mount St. Mary’s, Rashford played just 14 minutes, but he scored 14 points and had four rebounds, highs thus far for his young career.

After playing five minutes or less in Loyola’s first five games of the season, Rashford has played 10 or more in each of the last three and is averaging 7.3 now for the season.

Cormier’s Start To The Season

Dylon Cormier has started the season scoring in bunches, averaging 23.16points per game through eight. As of games of Tuesday, December 17, Cormier is fifth in the nation in scoring, trailing only Niagara University’s Antoine Mason (28.6), Creighton University’s Doug McDermott (25.3), Oregon State University’s Roberto Nelson (24.7) and UCSB’s Alan Williams (24.2).

Cormier scored 20 or more points in the Greyhounds’ first five games, and he had three 30-plus point efforts during that stretch, as well. Overall, he has six 20+ point games in eight contests.

On November 20 at UMBC, Cormier had a career-high 12 field goals and went 9-of-13 from the line to match his career-best with 34 points (also set on November 10 at Cornell).

No Loyola player in the school’s Division I era (since 1981-1982) had started the season with five-straight 20-point games. Andre Collins, who set the school single-season scoring record at 26.1, started the 2005-2006 season with 20 or more points in five of six games, but he scored just 16 in the Greyhounds’ third game of the season.

Collins had eight games with 30 or more points that season, the most by a Loyola player during the Division I era.

1,400 For Cormier

In the second half at Mount St. Mary’s, Dylon Cormier became the 12th player in school history to score 1,400 or more points in a career. Entering Thursday’s game against Stony Brook with 1,402, Cormier is 29 points away from tying Bob Connor (1967-72) for 11th place in school history.

He is the eighth player at Loyola to reach 1,400 points at the Division I level.

Turnovers Trending Lower

Through eight games this season, the Greyhounds have done a relatively good job of taking care of possessions, averaging 10.9 turnovers per game, second best amongst Patriot League teams.

Loyola is ahead of last year’s average of 11.9 turnovers per game (11.4 in the first eight of the season).

Additionally, the Greyhounds lead the Patriot League in turnover margin, averaging 3.3 fewer than their opponents this season. Loyola has forced 14.1 turnovers per game this year, 8.3 per game by route of the steal, a stat that is also tops in the conference.

In all, the Greyhounds have committed 87 turnovers to their opponents 113.

Five With 10 Or More

Five Loyola players finished the game with 10 or more points, led by Dylon Cormier’s game-high 23. Frans Rassman had 14, Jarred Jones, 13, Tyler Hubbard, 11, and Jordan Latham, 10.

It was the first time since February 2, 2013, that five or more players reached double digits in the points column. That night, six Greyhounds scored 11 or more in a double-overtime win at Niagara University.

Only once this season had four Loyola players scored 10 or more. That occurred in November 10’s overtime victory at Cornell University.

Slowing Leading Scorers

Led by Dylon Cormier, who drew primary guarding responsibility, Loyola held Connecticut standout Shabazz Napier to just four points.

Napier, who was named to the All-American Athletic Conference Preseason First Team, was 2-of-7 from the floor, and 0-of-1 from 3-point range in 33 minutes of action.

The 2012 All-Big East First Team honoree and member of this year’s John Wooden Award watch list entered the Loyola game averaging 16.8 points per game this season. In his next game, December 2 against No. 15 Florida, Napier hit the game-winner as time expired to finish with 26 points.

Loyola also did a solid job defensively on West Virginia’s leading scorers, guard duo Eron Harris and Juwan Staten. Harris finished with 14 after entering with a 21.1 points per game average; Staten scored four, despite averaging 18.1 prior to the contest. Combined the duo shot 6-of-23 from the field.

Strong Start

Eric Laster scored 10 of his 12 points in the first half against Connecticut to lead all scorers at the break.

Laster made 1-of-2 attempts from behind the arc before halftime and also hit all three free throws after being fouled on a 3-point attempt.

After averaging just 5.3 minutes in 27 games last season, he has seen his role expand dramatically this season, starting the first five games on the wing. He tied for the team lead in minutes played (34) at Cornell, and he scored in double figures (10) for the first time as a collegian.

Laster has averaged 9.1 points in Loyola’s first six contests, and he is shooting 42.6 percent overall from the field, 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from 3-point range. In 27 games last year, he averaged just 0.8 points (22 total) and shot 32.3 percent from the field.

On Wednesday night against Catholic, Laster scored just seven, but he posted career-highs with seven rebounds and five assists.

From Way Back

Loyola trailed UMBC by 17 points, 58-41, with 9:44 left in regulation on November 20, but the Greyhounds came all the way back to tie the score with 11 ticks left in regulation. They then went on to win, 89-83, in overtime.

An R.J. Williams layup with 8:37 left started a 10-0 run that would cut the deficit to seven on two Dylon Cormier free throws at 6:29, and Loyola would get within four on three occasions after that.

UMBC, however, pushed the lead back to double-digits, 73-63, on a Malik Garner free throw with 90 seconds remaining.

Eric Laster hit a pair of threes, wrapped around a 1-of-2 trip to the line for UMBC’s Joey Getz, and Loyola was down 74-69 with 1:14 left after Laster’s second triple. Quentin Jones hit a 20-foot jumper form the left corner with 58 seconds left, but Laster answered 11 ticks later to make it a four-point game.

Garner turned the ball over on a Cormier steal, and Later canned his fourth three in a span of 41 seconds to get the Greyhounds within a point, 76-75, with 42 seconds left. Loyola forced a missed layup by UMBC, and Cormier was fouled with 11 seconds left, and he hit 1-of-2 to tie the score. UMBC’s Rodney Elliott drew contact and a foul call with 3.1 seconds showing, but the freshman missed both foul shots, forcing overtime.

In the extra period, Loyola made 4-of-5 field goals and 5-of-8 free throws to pull away for the victory.

Laster From Deep

Eric Laster’s 3-point shooting made the Greyhounds’ comeback attempt a reality last week at UMBC. The sophomore guard hit four threes in a 41-second span with less than 90 seconds left in regulation.

His first three came on a pull-up in transition at the 1:23 mark, and the second was off an R.J. Williams assist at 1:14. Laster knocked down his third from the top left side with 47 ticks left on the clock, and he took a Dylon Cormier pass five seconds later – after Cormier stole the ball in the backcourt – to knock down his final shot that pulled Loyola within a point, 76-75.

Laster finished the game with five threes – he hit one in the first half – a career-high. Entering the game, Laster had hit just six 3-pointers, five this season and one limited action last year.

At The Line

Loyola has gone to the free-throw line an average of 24.4 times per game this season while converting 16.6 per game. Overall, the Greyhounds are shooting 68.2 percent from the charity stripe, making 133-of-195.

Last season, Loyola went to the line 716 times, an average of 22.4 per game (tied for 46th in the nation).

The Difference A Year Makes

When talking about his coaching philosophies, first-year head coach G.G. Smith has said that he would like the team to play a bit faster on the offensive end than in past years, and that has shown in the eight games.

The Greyhounds’ 72.2 points per game in their first eight, nearly six points higher than last year’s average of 66.9.

Conversely, it has led Loyola to allowing more points, 76.9, considerably higher than last year’s 63.5 points per game.

Swatting Shots

Jordan Latham’s two blocked shots against Catholic brought his Loyola career total to 66, good for seventh place all-time at Loyola in the category With nine more swats, Latham will match Omari Israel for sixth place with 75.

Cormier Earns League Honors

Dylon Cormier had a career-high setting opening weekend in the Greyhounds’ victories over Binghamton University and Cornell University, and he was named the Anaconda Sports Patriot League Player of the Week on Monday for his efforts.

He earned the honor again on Monday, November 25, after his 34-point effort in the come-from-behind win at UMBC.

Cormier’s 30+ Point Games

Dylon Cormier was the first player in Loyola men’s basketball history to post two 30+ point games to start the season.

He was the first Loyola player to score 30 or more in back-to-back outings since Andre Collins went for 34, 36 and 39 in three-straight games (all on the road at VMI, Delaware and Providence) from December 29, 2005-January 3, 2006.

Jones Breaks Out

Jarred Jones had a career night in the season-opener against Binghamton, recording personal bests in points (22), rebounds (7), field goals made (8), field goal attempts (11) and blocked shots (4).

The sophomore carries Loyola’s offense in the first half when it was otherwise stagnant, scoring nine points in just over five minutes. During that span, Loyola scored just two other points, but a Jones layup at 11:12 closed the Binghamton lead to four.

Jones tied for game-high, and led Loyola, with six offensive rebounds. His boards led to 10 Greyhounds points.

While his offensive production was critical, his four blocked shots were just as important. Jones swatted two Binghamton layups with weak-side help in the final 2:10 of regulation. The first block came in transition, and the second was on a drive from the left side. Both shots would have given Binghamton the lead if not for the blocks.

He followed that game with a 13-point, 7-rebound effort against Cornell.

Start Of The Smith Era

G.G. Smith was named the 20th head coach in Loyola University Maryland men’s basketball history on April 12, 2013. Her garnered his first head coaching win on November 8, 2013, in the season-opener against Binghamton.

The 1999 graduate of the University of Georgia spent the last six seasons as an assistant coach at Loyola for Jimmy Patsos who took the head coaching position at Siena College in March.

Loyola amassed a 106-87 record (.549) during Smith’s six years as an assistant. The 106 wins and the .549 winning percentage are the best of any six-year stretch during Loyola’s Division I history (since 1982-1983).

As a player, Smith was a three-year starter and four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs from 1995-1999. Smith helped the Bulldogs advance to the 1996 NCAA Sweet 16 and another tournament appearance in 1997. He left Georgia as the school’s career leader in games played (129), wins in a season (24) and 3-pointers in a game (nine).

Smith is the son of current Texas Tech University Head Coach Tubby Smith. The elder Smith led the University of Kentucky to the 1998 NCAA Championship and is in his 23rd season as a head coach. G.G. Smith played for his father from 1995-1997 at Georgia.

Meet The Staff

Joining G.G. Smith on the Greyhounds’ bench this season will be assistant coaches Keith Booth, Josh Loeffler and Dan Ficke and director of operations Kevin Farrell.

Booth spent the last two seasons as an assistant women’s coach at Loyola after serving as an assistant to Gary Williams for seven years at the University of Maryland. An All-American and four-time All-ACC player at Maryland, Booth won an NBA Championship with the Chicago Bulls.

Loeffler brings considerable Patriot League experience with four seasons, and two League Championship Game appearances (2010 and 2011), at Lafayette College. He was also the head coach at NCAA Division III school Stevens Institute of Technology from guided the Ducks to a 46-13 record in two seasons and an NCAA Sweet 16 bid in 2007.

Ficke is a graduate and four-year lettermen of Loyola where he also earned his master’s degree. The last three seasons, Ficke has been a member of the staff at Wake Forest University where he was the Special Assistant to the Head Coach and Director of Scouting and Recruiting.

Farrell returns for his second season as the Greyhounds’ director of operations and sixth overall with the program. He was a four-year manager for the team as an undergraduate at Loyola.

Look Back At 2012-2013

Loyola finished the 2012-2013 season with a 23-12 record, marking the first time in the school’s Division I history (since 1982-1983) that the Greyhounds have posted back-to-back 20-win seasons.

The Greyhounds finished their final season in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference with a 12-6 mark, tying for second place.

After falling in the first round of the MAAC Championships, Loyola its first-ever bid tot he CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Following the Greyhounds’ 2012 appearance in the NCAA Tournament, it was the first consecutive postseason bids in school Division I history and the first since 1953 in any division of competition.

Erik Etherly and Dylon Cormier became the first set of Loyola teammates to be named to the All-MAAC First Team in the same year.

New Year, New Coach, New League

In addition to sporting a new coach, Loyola will also be a member of the Patriot League for the first time in 2013-2014. The school announced in August 2012 that it would make the move to the conference, and the move became official on July 1, 2013.

The Greyhounds will compete against American University, fellow Patriot League newcomer Boston University, Bucknell University, Colgate University, College of the Holy Cross, Lafayette College, Lehigh University, the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy.

Preseason Patriot League Picks

Loyola senior guard Dylon Cormier was one of five players named to the Preseason All-Patriot League First Team, an honor shared by Bucknell’s Cameron Ayers, Holy Cross’ Dave Dudzinski, Boston University’s D.J. Irving (player of the year) and Lehigh’s Mackey McKnight.

As a team, the Greyhounds were slated to finish fifth, just six points out of third place. Boston University was the unanimous pick to win the league, followed by Lafayette, Army, Bucknell, Loyola, Lehigh, Holy Cross, Colgate, American and Navy.

Brito, Laster Spend Summer Overseas

Two Loyola players, – Denzel Brito and Eric Laster – gained valuable experience playing overseas during the summer of 2013.

Brito trained with the Cape Verdean National Team prior to their play in the FIBA African Championships. However, due to a FIBA exclusion, he was not able to participate in the event itself.

Laster played in five games on a tour that visited Belgium, England and The Netherlands. He was lauded for his wing play by writers who covered the events against professional teams in those countries.

Cormier On The Charts

Dylon Cormier enters his senior season at Loyola with a chance to climb many of the Greyhounds’ career statistical charts. Here is a look at where he stands:

Scoring

12th

1,402 points

Next

Bob Connor, 1,431

Field Goals Made

17th

466 field goals made

Next

B.J. Pendleton, 490

3-Pointers Made

16th

90 3-Pt. Made

Next

Teron Owens, 92

Free Throws Made

7th

380 free throws made

Next

Mike Krawcyzk, 394

Assists

T-21st

180 assists

Next

Milt Williams, 190

Steals

6th

153 steals

Next

Mike Powell, 154

Into The Fold

Loyola signed three high school seniors in the early signing period to comprise its Class of 2018.

Forward Cam Gregory (Waldorf, Md./St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes) and guards Chancellor Barnard (Columbia, Md./Glenelg Country School) and Colton Bishop (Winston-Salem, N.C./Forsyth County Day School) will join the program in the fall.

For more on the trio, visit http://loyo.la/MBB-NLIs-13.

High Marks

The Loyola men’s basketball team scored the highest amongst squads in the State of Maryland in the most recent NCAA Graduation Success Rate report. The Greyhounds checked in with a 91-percent GSR, tops among the state’s nine Division I schools, for players who entered the school between 2003-2006.

Up Next

Loyola will play its final game before Christmas on Saturday, December 21, when it hosts fellow Jesuit school Saint Joseph’s University.

The game is slated to tip off at 3 o’clock, following a 12 noon game between the Loyola women’s team and crosstown foe UMBC.

After the holiday, Loyola will play its final regular-season non-conference game of the year on Monday, December 30, at the University of Miami.

Comments Off on Loyola returns from finals break to face Stony Brook Thursday